The Earth Machine: The Science of a Dynamic Planet Book

Drawing thousands of visitors a day and some 4 million a year, the American Museum of Natural History is one of the most popular attractions in the United States. After four years in development, the Hall of Planet Earth (HOPE) was opened on June 12, 1999, becoming the museum's only permanent exhibit devoted to the science of planet Earth.
With the same seasoned expertise they brought to HOPE, co-curators Edmond Mathez and James Webster offer a guided tour of Earth's dynamic, 4.6-billion-year history. Using more than a hundred full-color photographs of the innovative exhibit, the authors explore the major factors in our planet's evolution: how Earth emerged from the swirling dusts of a nascent solar system; how a life-sustaining, oxygen-rich atmosphere developed; how continents and oceans formed; and how hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions alter Earth's physical and environmental systems. This lively book traverses geologic time and delves into the depths of Earth-beginning with meteorites, the oldest known objects in the universe, and concluding with the unusual microbial life that lives on the chemical and thermal energy produced by sulfide vents in the ocean floor-providing an engaging, up-to-date overview of earth science.
By incorporating stories of real-life field work, the authors show how Earth supports civilization and is supported by it; how even the smallest rock can help explain the formation of mountains; and how geologists "read" nature's clues and interpret Earth's evolving narrative.